Charles S. Dutton

TNT to Follow Up Summer Debuts with Romano's Men, Possible E.T. Invasion from Spielberg and More

• May 20, 2009 11:30 AM ET
• by Matt Mitovich
• 10 Comments

Steven Spielberg, Ray Romano and Charles S. Dutton

Leverage and Raising the Bar return to TNT this summer for their sophomore seasons, while three new shows make their debut.

The Closer, starring Kyra Sedgwick, and Saving Grace, starring Holly Hunter, are also among the cabler's returning original series.

As for new fare, TNT is rolling out this summer HawthoRNe, a medical drama fronted by Jada Pinkett Smith; Dark Blue, a police drama led by Dylan McDermott (The Practice); and Wedding Day, a reality series from Mark Burnett.

The cabler's development slate for the 2009-10 season and beyond, meawhile, is both out-of-this-world and down-to-earth.

The dramedy Men of a Certain Age — starring Ray Romano (also a creator on the series), Andre Braugher and Scott Bakula — has been greenlit and tabbed for ... read more

Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally Crave Fame

• Dec 1, 2008 03:04 PM ET
• by Joyce Eng
• 12 Comments

Megan Mullally, Kelsey Grammer

Fame is looking good the second time around for Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally and Debbie Allen.

The trio, along with Bebe Neuwirth and Charles S. Dutton, has been tapped to star in the remake of the 1980 classic as ...

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Casting News: Gretchen Mol Births Daughter, and More

• Nov 12, 2007 09:10 PM ET
• by Matt Mitovich

Gretchen Mol by Jemal Countess/ WireImage.com

Gretchen Mol (3:10 to Yuma) rounds out the cast of Lifetime's adaptation of Kim Edwards' The Memory Keeper's Daughter, playing a woman who gives birth to twins, one of which has Down syndrome and is secretly raised by another woman. Dermot Mulroney and Emily Watson also star.... Get that sweet image of a bicycle flying against the moon out of your head. Henry Thomas has been cast as a thug who goes into the witness protection program and ultimately becomes a NYPD patrolman in Under, an A&E drama pilot directed by Charles S. Dutton. read more

Sopranos Star Makes Oprah's Day, More Casting News

• Jul 12, 2007 05:00 PM ET
• by Matt Mitovich

Michael Imperioli by Kevin Mazur/WireImage.com

Emmy winner Michael Imperioli is set to star alongside Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn in the ABC TV-movie Oprah Winfrey Presents: Mitch Albom's For One More Day, about a despondent former baseball star who is magically granted a 24-hour reunion with his deceased ma.... A&E's Ridley and Tony Scott-produced four-hour adaptation of The Andromeda Strain now counts Ricky Schroder, Eric McCormack, Andre Braugher and Benjamin Bratt among its cast, says Variety.... Charles S. Dutton will direct and star with Elizabeth Peña in Racing for Time, a Lifetime pic inspired by the true story of Noel Chestnut, a prison guard who created a sports program for hard-core female juvies. read more

Doc, Heal Thyself
A medical mystery hits home on House

• Apr 26, 2006 04:00 AM ET
• by Matt Roush

"Did you call Jack Bauer?" Dr. House snarks to his agitated boss when told the hospital's crisis this week has escalated to a Biosafety Level 3. Funny line, as usual. But also telling. Because House (Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET on Fox) often feels like the 24 of medical dramas. It's that extreme, and that suspensefully entertaining. Besides, given the acidic way House treats patients and staff, his behavior isn't that far removed from Jack's methods of casual torture. The desperation to solve the latest deadly puzzle is absolutely excruciating in this week's remarkable two-part thriller (Part 2 airs on Wednesday at 8 pm/ET). It's a tour de force, not just for the delightfully curmudgeonly read more

The "If it ain't broke, don't...

• Jul 21, 2005 04:00 AM ET
• by Matt Roush

The "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" doctrine is alive and well at CBS. At least that's the impression you get after spending two days in the network's company as the first of the broadcast networks presenting a fall lineup at the summer press tour.

Although No. 1 in prime time, with the hottest nights of drama (Thursday) and comedy (Monday), they're not especially cocky. They didn't produce the breakout hits of last season (that would be ABC), and they're not likely to this year, either. But who's complaining when you have Survivor, The Amazing Race, CSI and all those other Bruckheimer shows, plus Two and a Half Men, as tentpoles?

Most of CBS' new shows appear solid, and a few even feel unusually fresh for a network that loves its formulaic procedural dramas and standard-issue sit read more